Army: Groups Warn Against Campaign Of Calumny

The Africa Advocacy for Leadership and Good Governance (AALG) and Transparency Network Centre (TNC), have warned against campaign of calumny againt Nigeria Army on numerous media publications skewed and slanted to favour the insurgents against the Nigerian Army. A statement jointly signed by the national coordinator TNC and AALG Mahmud Bello and Farouk Umar respectively said the propaganda are orchestrated by enemies of the nation’s unity, peace and stability. It said they are just giving the impression that the insurgents are winning the war. The statement said this deliberate falsehood and misleading narrative invidiously calculated to tarnish the unblemished professional reputation of our distinguished military, who have spent the better part of their lives protecting and defending this country from external aggression and securing the territory of Nigeria. The statement reads in part: “Ordinarily, we could have kept quiet, as some of these subterranean moves are aimed at denigrating and maligning the Nigerian military and burying their hard fought war into oblivion by falsely casting sensational headlines in favor of the insurgents. We are constrained to issue the following statements. “The recent attacks of Boko Haram against the Nigerian Military have been celebrated widely with twisted facts and information regarding the true nature of what happened on the battlefield by international media, individuals and their co- travelers by hyping the ambushes, counter-attacks and repulsion from the Boro Haram to high heavens and downplaying the victories of the Nigerian Military as if Boko Haram are having a field day. “The truth is: Boko Haram is losing the battle on several fronts, and disseminating falsehood on the media-field. Most of the gains achieved, battles repelled, men of Boko Haram captured and killed were denied mention in the Nigeria media space and public domain, all in a bid to give an impression of defeat against the military and dampen the morale of its gallant fighters.

“The high Boko Haram casualties were deliberately ignored, thrown to the dustbins and the scores arrested were also not captured in most of the stories, casting the headlines that Boko haram is back and fiercer. This is a propaganda ploy and strategy orchestrated by the enemies of Nigeria and fifth columnists all in a bid to purr the statistics in favor of the insurgents.

“For point of emphasis, it is also common knowledge that the Boko Haram insurgents have been degraded, decimated and defeated. They are scattered all over the northeast in small cells where they launch opportunistic attacks and the Nigerian Military are on their toes every day making sure that these small pockets that cause myriads of challenges here and there will be rounded up soonest.”

The statement said a lot of military personnel have been deployed to these remote areas to nip in the bud once and for all these pockets of Boko Haram insurgents trying to regroup.

It added that a realistic assessment of the security situation shows the insurgents are not winning the war but have been degraded and demystified by the Nigerian military.

“The resurgence of violence in some parts of the country is to politicians who are desperately seeking powers at whatever cost, and for political gains have seen them pitch tent with insurgents and they expect a sustained insurrection against the government of the day without thought or its implications and impact on the national security,” the statement added.

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